An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
